Previously Engaged
by chibinecco
Summary: Kakashi loves Iruka, but when he goes to tell him, he finds his best friend already spoken for.


"How do you8 tell your best friend that you love him without destroying whatever you have to start with

"How do you tell your best friend that you like him without destroying whatever you have to start with?"

The potted plant --lovingly named Mr. Ukki-- remained silent.

Kakashi sighed, lying back on his bed. "Today, I'll go in late to turn in my mission report. No one'll be there, and I'll tell him." Kakashi glanced at his faithful greenery for approval.

It gave him nothing.

"Iruka… I love you."

* * *

The mission room was empty. This late on a Wednesday, no one bothered to turn in reports that could just as easily be turned in on Thursday. Kakashi waved to Iruka's grin.

"Hey, Kakashi. I wasn't expecting your report before next Tuesday."

"I turn them in on time sometimes."

"Uh-huh," Iruka chuckled, taking the paper and date stamping it. "So what's the special occasion?"

"What makes you think there's something special?"

Iruka glared at him.

"Alright, you caught me. There's something important I wanted to tell you…" Kakashi walked around the desk, pulling a chair up beside his friend. "Iruka--" He froze as he heard a click.

"What is it?" Iruka asked, worried.

"Someone's coming."

The door opened. Iruka laughed at who he saw. "You spaz. You scared me there. It's just Genma." He relaxed, smiling at the newcomer. "Actually, I have something important I want to tell you too."

Genma joined them, flipping a chair around to sit at Iruka's side. "Hey, What's up?"

"Genma, if it's alright I'd like to tell him."

"What? No." Genma grinned. "You don't want to tell him."

"Yes I do. He won't tell anyone else. I promise."

"Tell me what?" Kakashi asked, watching the verbal tennis match jump back and forth between the two men.

"Nothing," Genma was quick to say, but was just as quickly glared in to silence.

"Here, maybe I should show you." Iruka grinned, pulling Genma's hand up between them.

"No Iruka don't."

"We have to tell him sometime."

Genma bit his lip, twitching the senbon between his teeth in agitation as Iruka tugged the half glove off his hand.

Kakashi stared in horror at the thin gold band he saw there.

"We're getting married, and I want you to be my best man." Iruka smiled warmly at him.

"But what about…"

"I don't care what Tsunade or the other elders say. We love each other, and that's all that matters."

Kakashi looked desperately for the truth from Genma. The other jounin refused to meet his gaze. "Yeah. I mean, yes. Iruka, I'd be happy to be your best man." Kakashi forced a happy smile into his visible eye. The truth hurt more than Kakashi thought it ever would.

He knew now for sure, that Iruka could be interested back, only to find that he was too late. It didn't make sense, but he was happy for Iruka. "I wish you both good luck." Kakashi stood, slouching back on his hips and turning to amble out of the room.

"Wait. Didn't you have something important you wanted to tell me?"

Kakashi glanced back at the happy couple. "It's nothing as important as your news." Kakashi smiled again, turning back towards home and his ever faithful plant. It wasn't much company, but there were never any sudden surprises.

* * *

"The world hates me."

Asuma sighed. He'd been pouring booze down his friend's gullet for the past hour in the hopes that he'd get some answers, but he hadn't gotten anything more coherent than how much the world hated Kakashi and how much he hated the world. Asuma was beginning to join the consensus. "What happened?"

"I can't tell you." Kakashi swirled his finger through a puddle of foul smelling liquid on the bar. Asuma wasn't certain if it was beer or piss and he really didn't care to find out.

"What's up?" Raidou asked, settling to Kakashi's opposite side and ordering a scotch.

"Why didn't you hold onto him?!" Kakashi snarled, throwing his glass across the bar and storming out.

"Shit…" Asuma stared.

"What just happened?" Raidou asked, cautiously lowering his arm.

"Not a clue… Last time I buy him that much beer though."

"Good plan," Raidou murmured, nursing his scotch and trying to calm his nerves. "Why were you buying him drinks in the first place?"

"He's being more PMS-y than Kurenai, and I wanted to know why. All I got was that the world hates him and he kinda mumbled a name. At least I think it was a name. Sounded like 'Gear-ka.' No Idea how to translate that."

Raidou stared over his glass for a moment. "Genma's name starts with a G… erka. No clue." Raidou shrugged.

"Isn't that chuunin that mans the mission desk named something like that? Aroka?"

Raidou spat his drink across the bar. "Oh, shit."

"What?"

"I gotta go."

"Wait, what's going on? Raidou!" Paying his tab and Raidou's, Asuma stomped out of the bar. He was going home where things made sense.

* * *

"Kakashi!" Raidou pounded on his door a third time. "Quit being such a brat and get out here. Your chakra masking sucks when you're drunk; you're not fooling anyone."

"What do you want?"

Raidou pulled back, "It's Iruka isn't it? What you're upset about?" He'd been watching Kakashi's face carefully for any kind of reaction, but it wasn't necessary. The man broadcast the answer at him on his own as he slammed the door.

Raidou began pounding again. "Kakashi! Quit that and let me in!"

"If I do then you won't go away."

"I'm not going away anyway."

Kakashi's face appeared from behind the crack again. "Why should I trust you? You didn't hold onto Genma. You ruined it. You made the world hate me."

"What the hell are you babbling about?"

Kakashi pulled back, yanking Raidou inside. "They're getting married."

"_What?!_"

"You don't know? I thought you were Genma's best man. Iruka asked me to be his." Kakashi slumped onto the bed in one corner of the tiny apartment.

"Shit, Kakashi. I had no idea… Fuck. He wasn't supposed to marry the kid."

"Huh?" Kakashi blinked at Raidou.

Raidou took a deep breath and explained. "A few months ago, Genma asked me if we could have a threesome. I told him it was a stupid idea until he told me who he wanted to join us. I didn't think he could convince Iruka to do it, so I told him he could try asking. After a week when nothing happened, I assumed it didn't work and Genma didn't want to talk about it. I had no idea he would get engaged."

Kakashi slumped forward in to Raidou's shoulder with a heavy snore. Raidou pushed him off to the floor.

"Gyah, wha?"

"You really need to forgo alcohol. Sleep it off. Tomorrow morning, we're going to give Genma a reality check."

* * *

Raidou sighed at the third bout of retching noises he could hear from Kakashi's bathroom. "You are a complete and total lightweight."

"Shut up and give me a new shirt."

"No need to growl." Raidou sighed. "Take a shower, and I'll make you some breakfast."

"We need to see Iruka."

"Not when you smell like that we don't. I'm just as pissed at Genma as you are, but you need to clean up and get some real food into yourself. Here's your shirt."

"Thanks," Kakashi mumbled. "I'm sorry. Really, thanks for your help."

"Don't thank me. You're the one who's going to be comforting Iruka after I drag Genma off."

"Are you sure confronting Genma with Iruka there is a good idea?"

"Genma accepted the offer to marry him. He was too stupid to say no then. He lost his chance."

"I mean, what about—"

"Kakashi, take your shower. You'll feel better after breakfast and once all this is taken care of."

Kakashi nodded mutely, turning back to take his shower.

* * *

Iruka opened the door with a pleasant smile. "Kakashi, Raidou, it's nice to see you. What brings you here so early?"

"We need to talk to you. Is Genma here?" Raidou asked, stomping on Kakashi's toes as the man tried to speak.

"Yes, what's going on?"

"Get him. He should be here for this. He couldn't do it himself."

Iruka nodded suspiciously but left to the back to get him.

"Stop that. You're scaring him." Kakashi hissed.

"What? He's twenty-six. I don't think my being a little bitter is going to 'scare' him."

"Stop it."

"Stop hissing in my ear."

The two shinobi quarreled in low tones together until Iruka reappeared.

"Shit-" Genma said, turning to bolt away before Iruka grabbed him.

"Where are you going? What's going on?"

"Sit down. There's something we need to tell you that Genma should have told you ages ago."

Genma cowered under Raidou's glare as Kakashi hovered by Iruka's seat.

"You can't get married to Genma."

"What?" Iruka laughed. "Why not? I asked him, and he said yes."

"He was not in the position to say yes. Genma hasn't been a single man since he was fourteen," Raidou continued as Iruka's expression deteriorated from confusion to hurt distress. "We've been living together and sleeping together for nearly two decades. I'm sorry he did this to you. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He was supposed to ask you to join us in a threesome, not date you."

"What is this?!" Iruka spat at Genma.

"I- Wait. That's not- I mean-"

"Shut up. Just shut the fuck up you lying whore."

"Now wait just a-"

"No! I will not wait! You deserve this, you fucking asshole! What did you think you were playing at?! Did you think I wouldn't find out?! What could possibly make you think you could lie to me? Pretend you love me?! And why the FUCK did you say YES when I PROPOSED to you?!" Iruka snarled, barely held back from tearing the other man apart by Kakashi's hand resting on his shoulder. "I don't care what you thought! Give me back my ring and get the FUCK out of my house!"

Genma was already bolting for the door, tossing the ring behind him.

"I'm so sorry," Raidou whispered. "He's a damn fool."

"I know." Iruka sighed, slumping back onto his couch. "It's why I love him so much."

"I should go," Raidou said, picking up the ring from the floor and placing it on the small table by the couch. "I hope you find someone."

"Me to." Iruka breathed in deeply, his voice wavering around the cracks. "You told Raidou, didn't you," he said, turning to Kakashi.

Kakashi nodded, rubbing Iruka's shoulder reassuringly.

"Thank you. I don't know what... I don't know... I think I knew... I just didn't want to know." Iruka sighed, leaning against Kakashi. "I think... I need to be alone. Thank you. I really appreciate it though."

Kakashi just nodded again, giving Iruka's shoulder one more squeeze before getting up. "I... I'll be available. If you need me."

Iruka nodded. "Thanks. I'll see you Monday."

"Yeah." Kakashi mumbled, shuffling out of the apartment.

* * *

The next month went by like torture. Every time Kakashi saw his friend, Iruka was working diligently. He wanted desperately to tell the man his secret, but it was never the right time. Every conversation they had seemed to revolve around how Iruka didn't want to talk to anyone.

Kakashi knew he had to do something, so he made a decision. He took a deep breath and rapped on the other man's door.

"Yes?" Iruka asked, opening the door a crack. "Oh, Kakashi. Is something wrong?"

"Yes, you." Kakashi pushed the door open and pulled his friend out. "I care about you too much to let you waste away inside. Genma was a dick, but that doesn't mean you should suffer. Come on, we're going."

"What? Kakashi, I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because... um..."

"We're going. Now, come on." Kakashi grinned, dragging him out the door and down the street to Ichiraku's.

"Ichiraku's? You're dragging me out for ramen?"

"Yes. Two miso ramen, please."

Iruka sighed. "Kakashi, I can't be here. Let me go home."

"Iruka you've been in mourning all week. I'm worried."

"I haven't been... Kakashi, I just broke up with my fiancée. He was cheating on me. I'm not ready to be doing this yet."

"And why not? Don't let his shit-headedness fuck up your life. Eat with me. Then we're going to see a movie, then to that new bar. It'll be good to get out."

"Kakashi..."

"Give the guy a chance."

Iruka looked up at Ayame as she set their food in front of them.

"He's only trying to help. I haven't seen you here in so long. We miss you."

Iruka opened his mouth to speak.

"She's right son. What's a bowl of ramen and a movie? I was starting to worry something had happened to you. In this village..." The ramen shop owner trailed off.

"See?"

Iruka sighed, breaking his chopsticks. "Alright. I'll go to the movie with you."

"Yes!" Kakashi grinned. Iruka laughed at him.

* * *

"I think I drank too much." Iruka giggled, stumbling into Kakashi's shoulder.

"I think you did." Kakashi grinned, grabbing his friend as he began to fall.

"How come you're not drunk?"

"Because I didn't have a dozen of those girly cocktails."

"They aren't girly. They're fruity."

"Fruity cocktails." Kakashi bit his lip to keep from laughing as they came up on Iruka's apartment.

"Yes." Iruka nodded, grabbing for the doorknob. He managed to fish his keys from his pocket and shuffle the door open. "I had a good time. Thanks. We should do this again."

"Yes, we should. You gonna be okay tonight?"

"Yeah." Iruka grinned, leaning in and placing a sweet peck on Kakashi's cheek. "You're cute when I'm drunk. I never noticed it before. Goodnight, Kakashi."

Kakashi stared at the door for nearly a minute before lifting his hand to his cheek. A wicked grin broke across his face, and Kakashi sprinted down the hall with a whoop.


End file.
